Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Bird Feeding on the Lawn

This winter the birds have really appreciated being fed. There has been a lot more snow so far this winter. Over the past little while, we seem to get 1-3 inches of snowfall overnight. Not a lot and we have gotten the odd sunny day to melt some of it. But there was enough for us to have a White Christmas. Just enough that the walkway could use a quick cleanup. And enough to remain on our gravel driveway to form a few icy patches. I don't clear the drive right down to the gravel because I'm not happy if the snow blower throws a lot of gravel on the lawn.
I prefer only 3 kinds of bird feed.
Niger seed for the finches- using the special feeders with the small holes. This feeder goes on a tree in the lawn. That way any stray thistle seeds don't come up next year in the flower beds. I don't purposely buy the mixed seed, but once in a while someone will give me a bag as a gift. This type of feed is also place on the lawn. For a change a couple of years ago, I planted some bird seed in the vegetable garden to see what would come up. The plants were interesting to say the least.
My preferred seed for the masses is black sunflower seed. Most of the birds seem to prefer this seed. Feeders with sunflower seeds are okay if they are above a garden bed. If the odd seed does grow next spring, it is a welcome addition to the shrubs, perennials or other plants. By the way, when I do plant sunflower deliberately, I just save a tin can full of the bird feed. It is much less expensive than to buy a two dollar package of sunflower seeds. Some years, we can have a whole row of sunflowers along one edge of the vegetable patch.
The third feed is unshelled peanuts. This is great for the woodpeckers and chickadees. When we have nuts in the house my daughter-in-law says we should have unshelled nuts. The act of shelling the nuts before you eat them broadens the experience of eating them. And since nuts are relatively high calorie (but nutritious and tasty) the shelling process keeps you from overindulging. So, I guess it's the same for the birds. Having them pick a hole in the peanuts, should make the feeding more enjoyable.
Sometimes in the spring, I see lawns where there is a bird feeder pole and the grass under and around the pole is much greener and thicker than the surrounding lawn. I always wondered why the bird feed would make the grass so much greener. Maybe, I thought the shells from the sunflowers that are left by the birds enriches the soil with organic matter which in turn leads to a healthier grass.
Then it just hit me today that the real reason the lawn does better under the feeder is because when the birds are feeding at the feeder all winter, they are also leave behind some bird droppings as they eat. The grass isn't greener because of the bird feed- well not directly anyway. The bird feed, after it has been digested is left behind and fertilizes the lawn with various nutrients. That's why the lawn is greener.
So go ahead and feed the birds - in the lawn or above the flower beds. The birds will certainly appreciate it. And the lawn or the shrubbery will also benefit from the bird feed.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#merrychristmas #nutcracker"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#merrychristmas #tree #decorations"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#icestorm in #mulberry #tresbeautiful"
(taken at Hagersville, Ontario)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#quotation #together #school"
(taken at Grandview adventist academy)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#snow #birchbark #evergreens"
(taken at Heritage Green Senior Centre )

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#caribbean #sunset #sailboat"
(taken at Gizmo's Beach Bar)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#snail #bigsnail #escargot a huge snail"
(taken at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#ocean #marina "
(taken at Marigot Waterfront)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Tropical #flower"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Friday, November 8, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#fall #leaves on #snow where's the #lawn"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Lawn Care Advice- Watering lawns on a Well

Hi Norm 
In response to your questions about "being on well water not always being able to keep up with the watering regimen."

Here are some suggestions.

1.  First and foremost- mow the lawn at a high setting. Mow no shorter than 3 inches. You could go to 3 1/2 to 4 inches even. First of all, the longer grass blades will create more "shade" on the soil surface and reduce evaporation of any moisture that is there. Secondly, the depth of grass roots are proportional to the the length of the blades, so the longer the grass blades, the deep the roots will be. Soil moisture is always greater deeper in the soil.

2.  If you do any watering, do it when it is least likely to evaporate. Thus early morning is the best time. At noon on a sunny day, some of the water will evaporate before it has a chance to percolate into the soil.

There are some treatments that work best with water - for instance, nematodes to reduce grubs. After a treatment such as this, water the most important parts of the lawn first. You may say, if I can keep the front lawn protected, that is more important than the back lawn that fewer people will see. 

3. Increase the water capacity of the soil. Sandy soils are very poor at retaining water. Clay soils will retain moisture to a point, but once they get dry they are hard to accept moisture. In either case, the best is to add more organic matter. Organic matter will increase the water holding capacity of sandy soils, and will help to break up clay soils so that the water will become more available to the lawn. Organic matter is best added after a core aeration, so that the organic matter has a better chance of getting into the soil profile. Organic matter sources can include black soil, peat moss, composted manure, as well as other mixtures that have been formulated for lawns. 

We do have dry compost that is spreadable with fertilizer spreaders.

4. Sometimes the best way to use water is to wash the car. That always seems to bring rain soon after.



Saturday, October 26, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hello,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#fall #lawns need #lawncare "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#autumn #fallgrass "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#fallgrass #autumn "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#Springblooming #forsythia #blooms in #October "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"More #grasses in#autumn"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#symphoricarpos albus #snowberry outside the restaurant window #nativeplant"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#catchfruitflies with this #simpleremedy of #vinegar #soap #honey #fruitfly"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Keep Grass seed Moist

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#lawncare in the autumn #mulchleaves to a depth of 2" to add #organicmatter to your #soil"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Why Not Water your Lawn in the Evening

Harry asks
An inspection was done. One recommendation is
' Avoid watering in evening'
Please explain the reason. I always thought this would minimise evaporation.


Hi Henry
 
Watering in the evening can lead to a higher incidence of turfgrass diseases.
When the grass is damp heading into the night time, the pores of the blades are more likely to be open. This increases the risk of fungal spores entering and infecting the plant. Most fungus diseases are more prevalent in moist conditions.
 
Avoid watering late in the day that will result in the grass blades being wet going into the night time. Although this cannot always be helped when the weather causes it, we can reduce the risk of infection if we can choose to water at other times.
 
Yes, less water is lost to evaporation in the evening, but mornings would give similar conditions.
 
There may be times when the weather is dry enough that watering can be done after supper, but the grass blades will be dry before night falls.
 

Before and After photo


Lawn care works.
As you can see from the before photo in April, this lawn was totally toast.
After seeding in April, the lawn has recovered, but then the neighbour's car in the driveway did a number on the tree and the lawn
--
Gerry Okimi
Turf King Hamilton Halton Haldimand
95 Hempstead Dr Unit 14, Hamilton ON L8W 2Y6
905.318.6677
Website: http://www.turf-king.ca/
Email: hamilton@turf-king.ca

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#helianthus #gardening #sky "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#fertilized with once a year #fertilizer and still #green #grass #turf #lawncare call #turfking to get yours done"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Monday, September 23, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#grass #fallgrass "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Lawn Care is a Landscape Ontario member

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Fall #grass a #garden highlight #gardenporn not the same as #lawncare"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Shady #lawn"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Friday, September 20, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Butternut #squash #flower #vegetable #gardening "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Floral carpet snapdragon #blooms #gardening "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Fibrous #begonia for sun or shade #gardening "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Purple oriental #basil for #Japanese #cuisine and #gardening colour"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Althea hollyhock a tall order in the #garden "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#peach #fruit grown in your own #garden tastes the best and sweetest"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Morning glory #vine #gardening twiner"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Rose of sharon double #bloom a #gardening late #blooming shrub"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Tall cleome -spider plant #gardening "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Helichrysum such a tall #bloom -5 feet tall- put it in the right spot in your #garden "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#sunflowers grown from #bird #seeds always make my #gardening bright and cherry"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Four o'clock #blooms #seeds itself year after year in #garden "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#cilantro a #herb #garden #bloomer"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#evening #primrose spreading #blossoms in #garden "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Ricinus castor bean #leaf a huge #gardening wonder"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Snappy #gardening snapdragons "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"#rose #garden will delight the sense of sight and the scents of fragrance "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Golden Potentilla #blossoms all summer long for your #gardening delight"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Giant butternut #squash that I hope will mature during the rest of the fall so that the #seeds will grow for #gardening next year or for those who want some seed "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Another #gardening hibiscus #bloom that dazzles / rose mallow "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Turf King Hamilton shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Turf King Hamilton just shared an Instagram photo with you:


view full image

"Morning glory is a #gardening beauty that climbs to heights of beauty"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team